BUFFY creator Joss Whedon has the biggest film in the country right now, but not even the mega-success of his The Avengers, which has taken almost $40 million locally in two weeks, was enough to get his 2009 horror flick The Cabin in the Woods into cinemas.

But that has changed thanks to a social media campaign that has pressured distributor Roadshow into giving the $30 million film a theatrical release at last - albeit a limited one.

The Cabin in the Woods was originally slated for a wide release in February 2010, before the collapse of Hollywood studio MGM sent it into limbo. Last month, it finally made its debut in American cinemas. It has also been released theatrically in the UK and across much of Europe.

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It has taken an unspectacular $US53 million ($A52.6 million) to date, which perhaps is why Village Roadshow ditched the local July release date and decided on a straight-to-DVD release instead. Until, that is, Australian fans began bombarding the company's Facebook page with pleas to change the strategy … or else. From late April, hundreds of devoted Whedon fans began posting. ''For the love of Joss release it theatrically or TELL US WHY!'' one fan wrote.

"Don't release Cabin in the Woods. Suffer the wrath of a VERY LOYAL fanbase, who will boycott your company and buy the DVD from the UK (or else, just pirate it). It’s up to you, Roadshow! Make the right choice!" wrote another.

Roaring success ... The Avengers has taken the local box office by storm.

Robert Woods, a 26-year-old film editor from Perth, was moved enough to start a petition on change.org and to create a video for YouTube using the film's trailer and highlighting the fact the film stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth - a star on the rise thanks to Thor and The Avengers - and Kiwi actress Anna Hutchison.

"A movie perfectly marketable to an Australian and New Zealand audience," Woods says in a faux American voiceover.

"So, why aren't Roadshow releasing it theatrically here? That’s just one of the mysteries behind The Cabin in the Woods."

Horror spoof ... A promotional poster for Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods.

On May 3, Roadshow bowed to the pressure and announced it would release the film in a single cinema in Melbourne (the Nova) and Sydney (the Chauvel). The film will also screen at the Astor in St Kilda, Melbourne, on July 6.

"Your response has been overwhelming," the company said in a statement. "Thank you for being so passionate about The Cabin In The Woods."

Yesterday, the distributor confirmed that Adelaide and Brisbane would see the film too, and Perth was expected to be confirmed within days. It will release nationally on June 14.

Woods said he was ecstatic that this small manifestation of people power had had its desired impact.

"It's the most political thing I've ever done in my life," he said. "I want the first time I watch the film to be with a big crowd, going through the experience with me."

A delighted Kristian Connelly, general manager of Cinema Nova, offered an insight into why Roadshow had baulked it releasing it cinematically.

"In Australia the horror market is not what it is in the United States," he said.

"There's a lot of hunger for horror in the African-American and Latino audiences in the US and that doesn't exist here."

Generally, he said, horror films do about a third of the business in Australia that other genre films do. And given Cabin's modest take in the US, that simply wasn't enough to justify a wide roll-out.

"But if it were to absolutely obliterate all preconceived notions and Roadshow came calling to do a wide release we'd be willing to negotiate," he said.

"We just want what's best for the film."

59 comments so far

I find horror films much better on the small screen anyway. Paranormal Activity 1 was unbearable in the cinema due to all the teenage girls

Commenter

Justin

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:09AM

i was under the impression Paranormal Activity was unbearable anywhere

Commenter

yeezy

Location

the pearl

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:20AM

Justin - that's not a challenge, it's an opportunity.

You just need to go to the cinema with a creepy rubber hand on a long pole and a large bag of rubber spiders.

Commenter

Matt

Location

Glebe

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:28AM

Spot on Yeezy

Commenter

Mark of Glandore

Location

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 1:46PM

Spot on Matt

Commenter

Not Me

Location

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 7:03PM

Josh Weirdo and his merry band of nutters....

Commenter

Bean

Location

Beanville

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:28AM

Well done! I'm very much looking forward to seeing this on the big screen.

Commenter

Mark

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:31AM

What about more Firefly? Sequel to Serenity? Maybe in the style of how they did the new Star Trek film so as not to break integrity?

Commenter

loinkloth

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:34AM

Actually, I prefer that. Firefly got canned before Weldon fully realized his vision (Serenity helped, but there's still a lot of stuff that he wants to do but can't) and he should be given an opportunity to do so.

Commenter

Urabrask the Hidden

Location

Date and time

May 10, 2012, 10:59AM

What, wipe out an entire future time-line and start again? Star Trek made it so that all of Next Generation, DS9, Voyager never happened.

Good movie, but a bit disturbing to wipe out all of the history and create a new one from scratch (by history I mean future, obviously).